Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Truluck's on a Budget

Ever since Sol and I went to dinner at Truluck's in January we've wanted to return. It was one of the best dinners I have ever had. I had a perfectly cooked Filet Oscar and Sol ordered Surf n' Turf. The lobster was huge, but so soft and perfectly cooked. I am not big into lobster like my lady but if it tastes like this every time I might have to go get a higher paying job.

Anyways this blog is supposed to be about this visit, so lets get cookin'. We went last Sunday night for their happy hour. Half price off their bar apps, ALL cocktails and 25% off bottles of wine. If you were wondering why we went, hopefully you're not anymore.

We sat at the bar, our usual spot. We were instantly greeted by our bartender with a smile. She made some recommendations and we were off on our adventure. We decided to start with calamari (Sol's fav) and a ceviche. I dove into the calamari first, best I have ever had. It was served with two dipping sauces: a sweet chili sauce & a semi-spicy mayo, both great accompaniments. The calamari lay over a bed of julienned carrots and hearts of palm. The veggies were cooked nicely. The ceviche was interesting...it had pineapple which I am not sure I liked but it was different.

The bartender said she made a good margarita so I took her word for it, though it was satisfying it was a little heavy on the grandma and a little light on the tequila. I still had 2 :)

Our next round of apps was Hot & Crunchy Shrimp and Crab & Lobster Rangoons.The shrimp was butterflied then breaded in a slightly spicy batter and sat on mango coulis with a thick mango sauce drizzled over top. These were good but I probably wouldn't order them again they were a little sweet and I would have liked a little more spice. The rangoons on the other hand, I'm gonna say it, OH EMM GEE!!!! Phenomenal. A nice crunchy outside with a soft, creamy rich inside and there was a dipping sauce. Another variation of the sweet chili but less viscous than the first and spicier which added a very nice kick to the dish. Also you can see what tasted like a creamy sauce with a little hear drizzled on top. The presentation was great. I apologize about the picture to the right, as taking it was an after thought :)

As you can imagine by now we were stuffed! But the cupcakes were 1/2 off too! We ordered two, one chocolate and one carrot cake. Meanwhile we decided to get some after dinner drinks, sol ordered a chocolotini as for me I asked the bartender what she had up her sleeve. She gave me some choices I had heard before then wide eyed she exclaimed, "Oreo Cookie Martini!" - after about a half a second of debate I accepted. As I hoped she delivered, it was right on the money. The ingredients were: fresh Oreo cookie crumbles from the kitchen and it had White Godiva Chocolate liqueur, White & Dark Creme de cacao, Vanilla Vodka & Cream. Nicely done, she said it was her invention so there you have it, the only place you can get a Oreo Cookie Martini - move over Jack in the Box Oreo cookie shake.

We could only fit one cup cake in our stomachs so we took the carrot to-go.

What a great a great meal at a great restaurant for a great price; $58 for 4 apps, 6 adult beverages & 2 cupcakes. This place has hit a home run on both visits, highly recommended by yours truly.